The health and well-being of mothers and newborns beyond Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook was created in Japan about 76 years ago, when Japan was a poor country with high infant and maternal mortality, with the aim of promoting health and well-being for mothers, newborns, and children. Today, MCH Handbook programs have been introduced in more than 50 countries and regions in Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. The MCH Handbook is an indispensable tool in our efforts to crystallize the idea of leaving no one behind. Each country in Asia and Oceania has its own culture and customs of pregnancy, delivery, and child-rearing. Each culture should be respected as worthy, and good practices and lessons should be learned and shared. We hope that the MCH Handbook will promote health and well-being for mothers, newborns, children, and families, while celebrating many elements of their traditional culture.